The Leaf Whistler
by Mionikoi
Summary: A blind boy who can speak to plants has his whole world turned upside down when village is burnt down. How will he survive in a world where humans and Kiedran are at war with one another? And what side will he choose? Also, a mysterious young man who dresses very eccentrically and is a 'tinker.' What will happen in Mekkan?
1. Chapter 1

Aiden was a special human. He wasn't a Templar. Nor related to one. He wasn't the son of someone wealthy or noble Either. In fact, Aiden was blind. His eyes were a pale green but were glassy. He was born blind. But even though he was blind, he was still special. As eleven year old boy he could speak and hear plants speaking. And both understood one another. So with that said, he was a apothecary's apprentice. The boy was of average height and had wavy black hair that reached just below his shoulders. He wore a plain green tunic with dark gray pants.

Aiden was sitting on his bunk in the room he shared with two other apprentices. There was three master apothecaries who each now had three apprentices. Aiden was only one because he was a 'leaf whistler' as they called it. His master sent him to locate a plant and Aiden would do so. Sometimes digging it up and putting it in a pot so it could be planted in the greenhouse. But with the plant's permission first. Today's mission was to find a specific herb that grew into a shrub. Then he would be tending the greenhouses.

Aiden tied a white bandage around his eyes. It was an indicator that he was blind, but it also helped protect his eyes from the sun. He got up and wondered towards the closest wall. Remembering his way to the guild houses entrance he stayed close to the wall. " Remember to grab the basket by the main entrance door Aiden!" A girl's voice called out. Aiden nodded and let her pass before continuing his way. He heard a giggle before she had disappeared around the corner. He wondered what that was about.

At the entrance he bent down and felt for the basket. It was close to door frame and just out of the way. There was a spade inside and... Some fresh baked bread with a jar of honey. Aiden smiled. He recalled the girl's name was Adeline. She must have been trying to be nice to him. With baskets in one arm and a walking stick that was laying just outside the door, Aiden set off for the forest. He felt the ground under his bare feet to try and gauge how busy the streets were. It was early morning so few were up.

That was good. Using the stick the make sure he didn't bump into anything or trip, the boy made his way to the fields. From the fields he stopped and listened. Another thing that made him special and was partly from being a leaf whistler and equally in part for being a blind one, was his ability to hear plants loud enough that he could see them. Or maybe he was just able to see THEM? Either way he carefully traded through the fields towards the forest, glad that most grasses didn't care if you walked on them so long as they weren't constantly trampling them. It was like walking on someones air... Only their hair was stiff and long and spade out. That was grass. In the best sense of how he would explain it.

He bid them good morning and asked them if he was heading in the right direction towards the forest. He knew he was, but grass liked to talk. In truth, the grass fell like one being that expanded out for several yards before he would meet another individual. That was grass. Resilient, territorial, and friendly. For the most part. They weren't fond of trees. Or much else really. Plant wise anyways.

Aiden was careful to avoid the more fragile flowers and other plants as he approached the forest's fringe. He could now hear the trees. " Are there anything dangerous under the bows and leaves elders?" Aiden asked as he walked up to the fringe. There was a sudden rustle of leaves in response as if a gale had suddenly blown across the forest. But there was no winds. " I'm looking for a night thistle shrub this time around. Preferably a young one." Aiden answered, having been asked why he was there.

There was no response other than a leave that fell down on his forehead and got tangled in his hair. " I'll be careful. Thank you for your blessings." He said happily as he entered the forest. In the woods, the darkness became something like daytime, but inverted. The trees were bright green and enormous. The larger and more healthy, the brighter they were. The smaller plants were different colors however, and the spores and pollen in the air were a yellow and orange haze. Few people knew but a forest with some help could defend itself. But it needed a leaf whistler. Otherwise the forest went to sleep.

It was hours that Aiden finally stopped to have lunch. In addition to the bread and honey, Aiden asked about any spring time fruit that he could have. The forest itself was scarce of such things during the particular season but there were some wild strawberries none the less and they were happy to give up their fruit if he would spread their seeds. But this would mean them contending with the grass... So perhaps it was better to start a garden and cultivate strawberries? He would ask his master later as he carefully picked some strawberries, trying not to harm the actual plant.

After lunch, Aiden received directions to the bush he was sent for. Or a cluster of them. Now was negotiation time. He had to ask which of them were willing to be uprooted and transferred to the basket he was using for a pot. A mix of feelings about the idea was apparent. Aiden had time. He wasn't really needed for anything else all day. So he sat on a rock and let the bushes deliberate among themselves about Aiden's offer. He was near a river and away from the trees. They wouldn't decide. Aiden sighed. He was about to tell them that greenhouses let them grow year round in warmth when he felt the sudden gust. The trees were shouting at him.

His town was on fire.

Aiden ran. Guided by the trees, guided by the grass he ran. He ran until he was at the fringe of the forest where a branch swung out to stop him. " Let me... Through..." He said but The trees were warning him. Nothing but death awaited him in his old home. He needed to escape before they came. He needed to leave and quickly because they were coming to make sure no one escaped them. The trees guided him to safety. They also covered his tracks by shifting their roots and increasing the production of pollen to hide his sent. Some trees even hindered their advance. The raiders... Whoever or whatever they were were becoming anxious. They were starting to realize the forest itself was blocking their passage. Or hindering them as much as possible.

Aiden would never know that these raiders were wolf Keidran. He also would never realize until later how much his presence had influence the forest. Nor how the forest would fall asleep after a period of his absence.

It was hours more that he finally was told he was safe. He took refuse in the bows of a willow tree and cried. He didn't really have a real family. His parents had sold him to his master at a young age and he barely remembered them. His fellow apprentices were kind enough that he thought many of them as his friends and the towns folk had treated him well. But now all he had was the forest. An unfamiliar part of it that was only now acknowledging his presence. That night he slept with up in the willow tree.

The next few days Aiden traveled. He followed close to the river and listened closely to the oldest trees' advice when they offered it to him. Pretty soon he was able to catch fish and light a small campfire that wouldn't risk a wildfire nor draw attention. He was able to cook with it, but that meant he had to pay close attention. At least the plants were more than happy to feed upon whatever he wouldn't.

He was next to the river trying to catch fish when he felt something sharp poke him in the pack. It was a gentle prod, but it still left a shallow cut. Aiden stumbled forward and looked around him. That's when he felt several gently prod him, this time not cutting him. But they were no less sharp. He realized he was at spear point. He also realized he was to far away from any plants to have been warned THEIR presence. His wasn't sure who had him at spear point but they walked on two feet. So that increased his chances of survival. It could have been a dragon... Or something.

" Move boy. Start walking." A male voice growled. The getting hit with the butt end of a spear was a good indicator of whether he was going the right way or not. It really hurt though. The rest of the day and part of the evening was spent walking, getting shoved around and eventually carried. Aiden realized the forest they were walking in was mostly asleep and was almost unaware of him. It didn't help that he wasn't allowed to talk. He silently let whoever was caring him do so. He noticed they were wearing a fur jacket though. It felt soft.

" Hey, quit that!" The man who was carrying him spat. Aiden couldn't help it if his hands were on the persons back or if the person was wearing a nice oft furry jacket. Put he refrained from rubbing the furry hide. The boy heard someone snicker. " Awww, Bolka! You no like being petted?" A male voice tased. The person carrying him said something in another language. He heard him make a long growling sound that reminded Aiden of a cat, but larger. " I'm sorry?" Aiden said not sure what he did wrong. It was just a jacket right? The man scoffed. " Just stay quiet human." The man who was apparently named Bolka said.

"My name is not Human. It is Aiden." Aiden corrected lying limp like a sack of potatoes. The person growled again. " I don't care what your name is human. Shut up!" Bolka yelled with a snarl. Aiden sighed. " How would you like it if I called you Human. Or person? Your name is Bolka isn't it? Mine is Aiden." Aiden continued and was thrown into the river where he swam up to the surface and looked around. He shook his head rapidly to get the water out of his ears so he could figure out which way was the shore.

It wasn't necessary because he was immediately grabbed up by a pair of fur glove clad hands and lifted out of the water. He felt his blindfold get pulled off his eyes. "Do I look human to you?" Bolka yelled before he gasped and dropped Aiden back into the water. The boy swam to short wiping water from his still sensitive eyes. He shivered. The water was cold. " What are those eyes? Why they like that?" Bolka asked cautiously. Aiden simply blinked.

There sat a human boy soak and wet. A boy with just below the shoulders length black hair, a green tunic, dark gray pants and pale green eyes that were blind. A boy that was shivering and looking in Bolka's general direction. Someone walked over to him and grabbed Aiden by the chin. He felt claws poking his face. "The boy is blind." A female voice said with a laugh. She let go and walked away after tying blindfold back over his eyes. And not to gently either. Bolka humphed and picked Aiden up. The boy simply sulked as he laid across his shoulders.

These were not nice people. Aiden simply shivered and sulked as he was carried until the finally made camp. He was sat somewhere. And that was where he remained. Just shivering as he listened to the trees sleep. It wasn't long before someone grabbed him and dragged him over to a fire. A male and female were arguing in a language Aiden couldn't understand. It all was growling and snarling with syllables to him and more joined in. If this was a problem then he would move. And he did just that. He sat next to a tree and hugged his legs. Still damp and still cold. People were still arguing intelligibly. Aiden just sat in the shadows quietly until he finally fell asleep.

He woke up the next morning with something soft and furry pressed against him. He had felt someone lay next to him but he sis his best not to respond to it. He was some kind of prisoner to fur coat wearing people with clawed gloves. He simply laid there quietly listening to the trees specifically, with the loud snores of others sleeping. He wondered who was sleeping almost on top of him. But then again, he felt like he shouldn't be so keen to feed his curiosity. These people had spears and things. It was hours before the person next to him woke up. She yawned and shook him to make sure he was awake. " Get up. Food." A woman said gruffly. Aiden did, allowing someone to grab him by the arm and guide him to the fire. " Won't this only cause more fighting?" The boy asked the woman. He felt like she was staring at him. " You no worry." She replied calmly and gave him some fried grilled fish. " Thank you." Aiden said softly and ate quietly. He felt someone pat his head before sitting down next to him and also eating.

The next few day was like that. And the day after Aiden was allowed to talk. And to the displeasure of the group he was in, he was a chatter box. But he didn't talk to them so much as the woman with him and the forest around them. It wasn't long before he found himself lifted up by his throat. He gasped but couldn't breath. " No spells! Stop talking! You make trees sway without wind! Stop it!" Aiden heard Bolka's voice. At first Aiden kicked in flailed to no avail. But then he heard something strike his assignment. He could hear how angry the forest was. "Bolka? Bolka!" Someone yelled. Aiden felt himself get snatched up by a tree's branches and heard it's groans. Through the tree, somehow, he could feel the presence of a dozen people scared. One such person laid on the ground a few yards away. Aiden spoke to the tree softly, thanking it, trying to calm it down. Trying to sooth the other trees. Eventually the anger turned to a placid swaying to the wind. Aiden sighed. He wasn't keen on trying to climb down though. Not until the tree set him down itself.

"Templar." A male spat with a growl. Aiden simply looked confused. "No. Leaf Whistler." The female who had been taking care of him said. "Forest child."


	2. Chapter 2

Aiden didn't learn that he was in a snow leopard Keidran village until he had been there for two months. The chief, a female Keidran who was pregnant with her second child allowed for him to stay in their village. Eventually he started to learn their language, and they quickly understood that he was mostly harmless. Unless attacked. Bolka had broken several ribs when he was struck by the tree. He nearly died. But then there was Irra who was Aiden's care taker. She seemed to be more than amused that the boy could talk to plants. It wasn't until he was finally made into an apprentice healer that he realized everyone surrounding him wasn't human.

Everyone avoided touching him unless it was to shove him out of the way or drag him somewhere. But then when things finally calmed down a little Keidran girl hugged him. She was still hugging him now around the waste as he blinked wondering what was going on. He had patted her gently on the head and felt ears. Not human ears, but somewhat rounded but still triangular ears that were long and furry. She was giggling as he poked them and with her tiny hand she had grabbed his hand and rubbed her cheek affectionately against the back of his hand.

Things started to dawn on him slowly. The claws were claws, their furry jackets were actually apart of their body and their hands weren't gloved. They were covered in fur. And from how the little girl had brushed her tail across his knee, they had big bushy tails. He heard someone growling. A male. But then the sound of a loud smacking noise. " Stop growling. He isn't doing anything wrong." Irra said in Keidran.

The little girl walked beside him hanging on to his pants leg as he got up and beelined straight for Irra. The Keidran woman frowned. "Mina, you shouldn't play with the human. Your mother will be upset." Irra said. Aiden felt the girl hug his leg and hide behind him. Irra sighed. " Why shadow mother upset, Irra?" Aiden asked in broken Keidran. Irra was frowning at him. He couldn't tell until she spoke that she was not happy. " You are human and we are Keidran." Irra explained as if it was the simplest fact in the world. Aiden cocked his head and repeated the word he had heard Irra use to defend him so many times. "So?" He asked.

Irra sighed. She regretted using that word now. " Humans don't like us Keidrans. And we Keidrans do not like Humans. We have never been on good terms. We almost always fight." Irra said. Aiden sat down, more than happy to let Mina sit next to him. " Why?" Aiden asked her. Irra growled. " Stop asking questions! Humans hate Keidrans and Keidrans hate humans. It is because we are different from each other!" Irra yelled.

Aiden patted Mina on the head. " So?" He said trying to sound completely rhetorical. He got up and Mina followed him.

Irra would only become more frustrated with the human. And Aiden would only push the point that he didn't care if they were different as he learned more Keidran. It wasn't like he had eyes to see that they were different. Irra started arguing that he could still tell the difference. He only told her the difference was how they treated him. One day Irra had him cornered against a large tree, unable to get away. "So why do you think it doesn't matter? Why do you feel there isn't any difference?"Irra asked. Aiden looked towards her face then away. " No one else cares about me. This tribe is all I have. My parents sold me off .To... To that village planet user healer folks. When you found me, my old home... Was burned to ashes..." Aiden said looking away. They were all he had now.

Irra looked at him. " Did you ever wonder why your town was raised? Did you ever stop to think maybe we did it?" She asked him. Aiden's face looked at the ground with guilt. " I did a first... I thought you people were mean enough. I almost had friends and the day I went plant hunting... All that went away..." He said and looked up at her, his bandages becoming wet from his tears. " But you people... You aren't that mean! Here I am not ashes. Why?"

Irra looked at the young human. He was struggling with his Keidran. A naïve blind boy who couldn't believe people were so cruel. " Because we are afraid of you." Irra said very slowly so he could understand. " You are here because we don't want your kind to have you." Aiden was trembling. " Then... Why not burn me down? Trees won't hurt you after I die... They just go back to sleep..." He said and ran past her.

Irra watched him leave. In the forest he wasn't blind. Or so she though until he tripped over a rock. A male named Fen was there to pick him up. The boy just stood there for a moment quiet and distant before he stumbled onward.

Fen was an older male. Most Keidrans only lived to be maybe twenty one. He was into his early thirties. And it was showing from how gray his fur had become. " You should have just told him that it was wolf Keidran tribe that did it." Fen said calmly. Irra sighed. " I know father. I know. It just... Hurts to see how innocent he is." She said calmly.

Aiden was found the next day hanging from a cliff by the roots of a shrub that had saved him. The chief Pirrah, was beyond angry. After the boy was brought back Irra was staring at a heavily pregnant mother snow leopard Kiedran. Irra was punched in her cheek hard. Hard enough that she was knocked off her feet despite how well she had prepared for the blow. The chief stood over her now with a spear. " I have half the mind to throw you off that cliff myself. How dare you let him out of your sight!" The chieftain said growling furiously. "Chieftain Pirrah, please. Please calm yourself for your child's sake." Fen said not even looking at his daughter.

Irra laid there on the ground. Aiden had been found with a broken leg and a concision. They were not sure if he would wake up. " Why do you care about him so much Shadow Mother?" Irra asked. Pirrah lowered herself into a seat. " Because. He isn't like normal humans. He is blind to more than just what we see around us. To the color of his pale skin to each spot in our fur. He is also blind to the hatred his kind bares towards ours. And most of all, he is a child of the forest. Unlike normal humans, this land is more his than ours. You know nothing of the Leaf Whistlers." The chieftain said and rubbed her swollen belly. " They are a rare breed of humans. They use to be common in the age where we lived along side them without conflict. But now you are lucky to see one in your life time let alone a human's."

Irra continued to lay there on the floor. " He is still a human." Irra said calmly. Pirrah growled. " Than why did you defend him?" The mother countered. The younger female was silent. It wasn't just because she wanted to spite Bolka. She genuinely wanted to take care of him. " I will say this one last time. Leaf Whistlers are not like normal humans. Any Keidran can feel that the moment they meet one. That child didn't even have to speak for you to feel like he was helpless. To feel like you didn't want to hurt him. I'm sure that is what you think. That he is a helpless whelp. But I will tell you this, that whelp has a better chance to survive than you could in his condition. He has the forest and its wisdom. You would only have yourself. I won't banish you. Nor will I punish you any further. Get up!"

Irra finally sat up looking in disbelief. " Go and do your duty." Pirrah said and glared even harder at Irra. "And tell him the truth. Go!"

Irra stumbled out of the tent. She thought about it. How active the trees were, how he could easily find food for himself and how he learned things no one taught him. Then there was Mina. She clung to his side even when it brought her nothing but scorn. The child could sense what he was, perhaps stronger than any in their tribe. But Pirrah knew what he was. Irra walked into the tent where the healer was looking after the boy. Mina was right there by his side watching the healer try to fix the boy's leg.

Irra did not expect Mina to get in her way when she approached Aiden's bedside. The child hissed and growled. Telling her again and again 'NO!' The little girl was still young, but already knew how to talk well enough. But she didn't. Not until HE came. Irra stared at the boy. It wasn't until she closed her eyes to remember everything Pirrah had said and opened them again that she saw that was awake. His glassy green eyes that were blind. Something about them bothered her. Was it just that the way they looked? In a way they were pretty... But at the same time... Something about it bothered her.

"Aydee?" Mina asked looking worried. Aiden simply patted her head. Irra looked at the healer. An older Keidran woman who had a collection of magic crystals and a talent in healing magic. Irra sighed. She had to look after this human boy. At least until someone else did.

Aedin grew up with that tribe. Moving with the snow leopard Keidrans where the food was. Helping set camp, gathering herbs from pruning and learning from the healers magic and how to make certain poultices, salves and medicine. Where he went, the forest awoke. And when the forest awoke there was a plethora of knowledge they could offer... As well as warnings. It was Aiden's third year that they were 'visited' by a rival tribe. A tribe of wolf Keidrans who Aiden could hear were growling at them. "Why do you have a human Mother of Shadows?" The Father of Storms asked. Pirrah had simply smirked. " Why are you coming to visit us so well armed as if for war? Do you want to fight us? She asked with her three year old daughter hiding behind her and her seven year old daughter standing in front of Aiden. Mina may as well had been a young teenager by now, or just reaching her teens. She was almost as tall as Aiden.

" Don't avoid my question." The wolf Chief said. Pirrah smirked. " Than don't avoid mine. He is a forest child. A Leaf Whistler. You didn't bother to notice his presence did you? I would suggest you call off your men. They can't fight us and the trees and it would be foolish to set the forest ablaze." Aiden could feel the wolf chieftain was not convinced. " You may if you want. Please don't hurt him though." Aiden said and watched as a tree picked someone up. Someone he guessed was the wolf chief.

The teenage boy laughed when he heard the 'brave warrior' yelp in fright and start yelling to put him down. Many of his warriors were scattered. Trees were strong and tall Their limbs were tough and not easily broken. "Put my father down now!" A female voice yelled. Aiden could sense malevolent magic from her building up. He asked the tree to gently put the wolf chieftain down but couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Apparently though, trees have a mind of their own. It would not be wise to anger them." Pirrah said. Aiden could sense them leaving. The wolf chieftain must have been angry.

But that wasn't what Aiden was worried about. Pirrah's anger when she grabbed Aiden by the color of his new wool tunic worried him more. More than a thousand wolf chieftain's wrath. " You idiot. Are you trying to start a war between us?" She growled. But she couldn't help laughing. She let go and Aiden could hear her sigh. What was he to do? He thought about it. He almost made the chieftain jump out of her skin when he hugged her. " S-sorry!" Aiden stammered after letting go and backing away. He could feel her gaze on him but not her expression. He could hear the other tribe members whispering some just giggled or laughed softly.

Perhaps Pirrah wasn't exactly so ready to hug him, but there was one member of the tribe who was more than happy to. Mina almost never let him out of her sight and she was more than happy to hug him. She had taken over Irra's responsibility as his caretaker... Almost begging her mother to let her. No... She did beg her mother to let her. The two had become inseparable and Pirrah seemed to have no intentions of trying to separate them. Irra was not so happy to be relieved of her duty. She checked on him now and again but otherwise Mina took care of him.

In the first three years that he had stayed with them he had experienced death because Fen had died of old age. He had also experienced the joy of being able to teach someone his language, both spoken and written. As Mina became older she helped try to teach Aiden how to write. He was able to read by fallowing the grooves in the dirt with his fingers to get an idea of what letter and then word was written. Eventually, he became fluent in both languages.

As the years went by Mina only became more and more interested in human culture. By the time she was eleven she was making her plea to both Aiden and her mother to let her go with Aiden to the human world. She had been dressing like a human, learning everything she could and was even happy with the idea of pretending to be a slave. Aiden however was not so pleased with the idea. His home was here with everyone and the forest. He didn't want to leave. Mina hugged his arm tight. " Please? I can take care of you. I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to see the world! Read books that we don't have and talk to people other than the occasional wolf idiot or sassy tiger!" Mina said.

Pirrah, now up in her age looked at her daughter with a frown. She looked at Aiden who had grown to be a strong, calm, and good tempered man looked at her with a face that said he was very reluctant. Even if he did trust Mina. "This is his home as much as it is yours daughter. I know you can take care of yourself and him. You are a smart and an adult. So you have my blessing. But please, make it home safely when you tire of your adventure. That is, if you can convince that man there to take you." Pirrah said chuckling softly. Aiden looked towards her sadly and knelt down before the old chieftain. He had admired her for her kindness and strength and had slowly felt the pain of being someone so young, let alone being a human.

"Oh Aiden, do not despair. My time has been a longer one then I expected. I have two wonderful daughters and a strong son. Even if my oldest wants to gallivant the world I know my people are in good hands. I'm glad you made your home with us. And I know you will be welcomed to come back to us. So please don't you ave a long face like that." The feline said and bent down to hug him closely. She hackled when she saw the young man flustered that she was showing him such affection. " Oh, go on. You have been among the trees for too long. Go and visit the rest of the world!" The chieftain said and laughed when Mina dragged Aiden off.

" You heard her! That was an order!" The young feline Keidran said happily as she packed her and his things. Aiden felt a bit overwhelmed. Irra, who was only a few years younger than Pirra came to visit. " Setting off are you?" The cranky Keidran asked watching Mina flittered about. Aiden frowned. Irra bopped him on the head with a cane. " Stop that. This will be good for you! Why do you want to stay with a bunch of old cranky bag of bones like us?" Irra asked. Aiden sighed, and got bopped in the head again. " Here. I found this out in a cave a while ago. When times are at their worst, I'm sure he will help you." Irra said. Aiden looked surprised when she handed him a kind of vine. But it wasn't just any vine. It was a dragon made of vines.

The moment it touched his hands it sprung to life and wrapped itself around his left arm squeezing tightly until it somehow fused with his arm, leaving a dragon like mark. Aiden looked surprised. He could feel its presence, but despite that, it had gone to sleep. " My father once said long ago that there were tiny dragons made of plants that lived in these parts. Not in my wildest dreams as a little cub, would I have thought they were real. But I think he will help you. If you need it." Irra said and waved farewell. And with that, seven years spent with the snow leopard tribe came to a close as he was dragged off by Mina to venture towards human lands. He still remembered the many tribesman who treated him poorly, but over time had warmed up to him.

People that had disliked him were now wishing him well. Bolka was the only one left to have yelled 'good riddens' at him. Which made him laugh. Bolka never liked him.


	3. Chapter 3

A young man laid on the shore unconscious. He had a red jacked on and red pants with black leather boots. His hat, an aviator's hat, was also red, but his goggles had yellow lenses and around his waist was a red sash with a white end. A fisherman found him and carried him to his home where he laid the young man in a bed. Taking of the aviator hat the young man had short black hair. " Lisa, help me get this coat off of him." The fisherman said as he unwrapped the sash from around the young man's waist. A number of tools fell down on the floor once they removed his coat. " I think he's a tinker pa." A girl said picking up a file. The fisherman frowned. " Go alert the Templar." The fisherman said calmly.

Soon the young man was in the care of the Templar, laying in a bed of a room locked from the outside. His coat hung inside the the room, along with his tool belt, his sash, boots, and gloves, which were black leather and held together by clothespins. He was wearing a white shirt and his pants were held up by a belt and suspenders.

Eventually the young man woke up feeling a nasty headache. He saw a jug of water on a bedside table and frowned at it. Immediately he went to his coat and pulled out a thin stone on a string and brushed it off before dipping it in the water. No reaction. He returned the stone back into the packet he had taken it from. Next he rubbed his finger along the lip of the jug and smelt it. Nothing. He went back to his coat and searched for a crystal and used the light coming into his cell to examine the jug. Nothing.

The young man sighed. Whoever had him, didn't want him dead. Or wasn't testing him. One last test. He looked underneath the jug and saw runes scribed in ink on the bottom. The young man sighed. Magic. If not poison, magic! He immediately went to hi coat pocket and pulled out a vial that he emptied onto the jug. It didn't spill onto the floor but rather circled around the jug until the ink and the spell was eaten away. The liquid then returned back to its vial where the young man stoppered the vial and returned it to his coat. He then checked underneath the table. There was also a spell but this one he ignored.

He drank from the jug and set it back down. The spell on the table was a cooling spell, so he didn't worry. Next he wanted to leave his cell. He got dressed and pulled out a pick and torque. In only a few minutes the lock on the door was unlocked. He listened. No guards. Putting his tools back in his belt he made a careful inventory of what he had. Nothing was missing other than his knife, but that was accounted for. Adjusting his aviator hat he opened the door walked down the hall and there stood a man in robes who began to clap his hands while a girl with black wrappings around her eyes stood next to him.

"I see you are a very confident man. I must say, I am surprised to come across someone of your talent." The man said. The young man in red walked right through the other man, who was only an illusion. " If you are going to talk to me, please do it in person." The young man said as the girl followed him. " This way sir. Father is waiting for you in his office." She said. The young man frowned. He followed her directions to the man's office and was directed to have a seat.

" I see, you share the customs like many others of your craft. Shall we get down to business?" The man asked. The young man looked at his surroundings. The office was a study. He rose his hand up in indication for the man to continue speaking. The robed man smiled. " I would like you to use your skills to help with the construction of a final project that is on its way." The man said. The young man folded his hands. " I'm not interested. I don't work alongside magical instruments. They are too unstable and can become too unpredictable. If you want my services on anything else I'll happily work on anything outside that parameter. Otherwise, I can not offer my services to you sir." The young man said.  
The robed man frowned severely, even looking angry. " You will not change your mind?" The man asked. The young man sighed. " I will not work along side magical instruments. A user is far more predictable then an instrument. I will warn you out of good intentions. Any project you start that uses magic to drive it will eventually fail. They always have. Mechanical instruments are more reliable. They break down eventually, but machines can be repaired, replaces, and maintained. Lives can not. The study of Magic is a field of science best not explored with arrogance. I've seen what failure to abide by that law results to." The young man said concluding.

The robed man looked at the man across from him. " Even if there is 'an acceptable' parameter of variation?" The man asked. The young man frowned. " With magical instruments there is never an acceptable variation. There is 'it works for now' and 'it blows up and causes massive damage now' variation. The only difference made is the size of the instrument and how much mana it condenses." The young man said.

The robed man sighed. " I see. I am disappointed then. You may leave." He said calmly. And the young man bowed. " I apologize that my services are not what you require and wish my employment may be needed again. Have a good day sir." The young man said and left. The blind folded girl stood next to the robed man. " Will it be okay to just let him go father?" She asked. The robed man glared at the closed door.  
" As much as I want to ring his neck, that is how they all are. Stubbornly adhering to the clocksmith's code. He shouldn't cause any problems to my plan. But we would finish much sooner with his or any of his profession's help." The robed man said. " We don't need them though."

The young man sighed when he was let out the front gate of the Templar castle. He wasn't going to find much work in this place. And he didn't have any coin. So he needed to leave.

Luckily he didn't have to travel far before he could catch a ride to a village with a wind mill. He slept along the way and asked if he could look at the windmill once he got their the next morning. He examined its construction and sighed. They were using wooden cogs and already had replacements. Likely he wouldn't find employment here. He checked the nearest water mill. Same story. Local black smiths were willing to work with him though. He spent the day explaining to one particularly large fellow how he could benefit from a foot powered bellow and a fan that could help add ventilation. Unfortunately, the blacksmith was not willing to bay him until construction was complete. Luckily, he was more than happy to provide the materials. So things were not that bad. It was just that he had no where to stay.

Well, there was a tavern. He headed that way hoping he could beg the owner for work so he could pay for room and board. He was surprised when he walked in to find a Keidran woman greeting him. He blinked. Sure, he had met plenty of Keidrans before, but not a free one in human territory. And not one with beautiful fur like hers. "Oh, excuse me! I was hoping I could beg for work. I have managed to find employment with the local blacksmith but unfortunately he won't arrange for payment until after the construction is finished." The young man said. The Keidran woman, a snow leopard with dreads stared at him with a serving trey under her arm. She was frowning. "I'm afraid not. I have enough help from my daughter. You will have to look elsewhere." She said. The young man gave her a polite bow and left, still blushing.

The next morning the tavern owner found the young man sleeping in the back under the eve of her tavern next to some water barrels collecting the rain water from the storm. She frowned. Could he really not afford a room or a meal? The keidran woman gave him a look over. His clothes made him look eccentric, like he was trying to look like a fox. But it was obvious that he was some kind of tinker from his goggles. It was still raining heavily. How stupid was this human anyways? He should have just staid in the city where the Templars could use him. She had heard from her night's patrons about this young man. She left him there and went inside. She was still unsure if she should bother with the weirdo.

The next day he came in a little afternoon inside the tavern and sat at a table dropping a few copper coins and a silver coin. " Will this get me a meal and something warm to drink?" The young man asked. The Keidran woman frowned. He wasn't from around here. Maybe he wasn't really even from the human territory. This was strange. " The three copper will do it. Save the silver for your boarding fees." She said giving him a cautious look. The young man pushed three copper coins towards her while putting the rest in a coat pocket. He wasn't paid much. The materials he required and work done was mostly done by the blacksmith. He would check to make sure the fan was holding up well as well as the foot pedal. He didn't want an unsatisfied customer. But he was sure his work met the quality expected. It wasn't like he had much to work with anyways. But all he had to do was use some of the basic mechanics used for a spinning wheel.

The Kiedran woman set a plate with bread, a slice of meat and a wedge of cheese. A mug of hot tea was also brought. " You aren't going to find much work out here. Why not work for the Templars?" She asked. The young man sighed. " Thank you for the food." He said and took his gloves off before making his sandwich. " It is a law my guild has placed. We don't work alongside magic driven machines. And that is exactly what Templars do. So, naturally... I can not employ myself with them." The young man said as he spread the cheese over his bread before placing the slice of meat on it. " Magic is more stable when it is being used by a person or living thing. Otherwise it becomes unstable."

The tavernmaid stared at him. "So it is just on some principle you have to follow?" She asked. The man simply nodded. "I've worked with volatile substances and dangerous things. Some of which I would gladly work with again. Magical machines? Not one of them. You can loose an arm working in a mill if you aren't careful. You'll loose more than that with magic even if you are careful." The young man said. He noticed a young girl who was hiding behind the tavernmaid. He smiled and waved to her before looking up at her. " May I?" He asked. She looked at him cautiously but sighed and nodded. He pulled out a pendant that was a series of rings held together by a series of pins. One small disk was in the center of them all. He held it up by the the string that loops through an eye at the top of the pendant. There was a pin going through each ring, which were all the same thickness but were all different sizes. He pulled the pin completely out and by their own volition, they began to spin.

The girl cautiously peeked out from behind her mother and slowly walked up to the young man. She looked at the pendant, fascinated. She poked the rings and they stopped all at once. When she pulled her finger away they continued their spin at a consistent slow pace, each spinning in different directions. " Don't worry. It is just a little trinket I make when I have the spare time. It works... Well, to be frank, I'm not sure how to explain it in a simple manner. Each ring causes another to move in a constant rotation without any outside force required to drive them." He said and placed the pin back into the rings. He didn't take it back from the girl. She looked at looked up at her mother in wonder. Her mother on the other hand looked at the human. " How much does something like this cost?" She asked.

The young man chuckled. " Depends on the material and the maker. It is made out of an ounce of a pure but lesser metal and the time and craftsmanship put into it is more hobbyist's work." He said and frowned when he looked at the woman's annoyed face . "I can't really say. I don't think they are sold in the market. They are practically a toy."

The tavernmaid sighed. " It can be sold for a lot of gold can't it?" She asked. The young man pondered about it. He shook his head. " I can imagine scenario after scenario where that could be true. But as I stand, logically it is about as much as an single copper nail can be sold on market... If that." The tavernmaid sighed once he finished his meal and left. She looked at the pendant and smiled. He may not have left a good tip but it was still nice of him to give her daughter a nice human bauble. Her daughter stared at it with fascination before putting the pin back in and getting tucking it in her shirt. It was time to get back to peeling potatoes for their customers.

The young man spent the rest of his day explaining how the machine worked to the local black smith and how to avoid damaging it. He explained that oil would help preventing ware and tare and with that he left to stay at an inn.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm telling you he's harmless! Leave him alone!" Mina yelled. Aiden was being held up by his arms between two male tiger Keidran warriors. A tiger woman stared her in the face. " That is to be seen. Even if he is blind, he could be working for the humans and the Templar." The tiger woman said. Mina growled. " He's lived in my village for the last seven years! He isn't working for them!" Mina yelled. One of the males sniffed him. " He smells like snow cat." One of the males growled after sniffing Aiden. "The faint trace of the Mother of Shadows lingers on him."

The Keidran tiger woman looked at Mina then purposefully walked up to her to get a better look at the young adult snow leopard woman. " You are her daughter, aren't you?" The tigeress keidran asked. " She is. And she is my best friend." Aiden said in Keidran. His accent came from the snow leopard tribe and was completely devoid of a human accent. The males dropped him. " Besides that you can speak our language as if you were born among our kind, there is something different about you." The tigeress said. Aiden just sighed and walked over to a tree. " Hello lady oak. Can you tell me something to prove I'm not a threat to these people?" Aiden asked the tree.

The tigeress scowled. " Don't ignore me! Are you really talking to a tree?" She yelled feeling indignant. Aiden nodded. " She said that you once had trouble with wetting your bed when you were younger. She also says that you had a crush on the lion chief's second son. A panther tried to propose to you on your eighth birthday and a human... I'm terribly sorry..." Aiden said and trailed off with the last thing the tree had told him.

"H-how do you know all this?" She asked and snatched a spear from one of her brethren. "TELL ME!" Aiden bowed his head. It was one of the males who tried to placate her that answered her. " Isn't it obvious sister. He's a Leaf Whistler." The older of the two males said. Mina stared at the tiger Keidrans. They were all staring at Aiden. The young man simply shrugged. Things did not seem like they were going well with their adventure. Mina sighed. " And you wonder why we were not surprised that you showed up all of a sudden?" Mina asked the tigeress. The female tiger Keidran simply glared at the snow leopard Keidran. Aiden simply sat down next to a tree and looked down at his arm.

"Mina I think it might take a while for us to get through the rain forest part as we head south west." Aiden said calmly. He could here the trees telling him how tense some of the underbrush would become. " Maybe we should have gone north and then west?" Aiden suggested.

"Nya! I didn't want to go north! I wanted to go west and then north! I wanted to see the sea!" Mina whined. Aiden simply sighed. The tigers were all staring at them. " It's usually like this." Aiden said calmly. The males looked between him and Mina before shrugging. They left looking as if they had no reason to remain. The tigeress glared at them before leaving without a word. "Mina, I'm not sure about this." Aiden said.

Mina simply hooked her arm around his. " But we are on an adventure!" She chirped happily. Aiden shook his head. If not for knowing that the trees offered them centuries of wisdom Aiden was sure they would be in dire straits. Even if he could have seen. They would have been bitten by poisonous snakes and bugs or eaten up by ants. The forest was really helping them survive and Mina seemed stubbornly say that she would make sure everything worked out.

It was he who warned her to boil the water first otherwise she would get really sick. Or not to sleep on the floor of the rainforest. Or to be careful with the snakes. She practically walked into a nest of carnivorous plants that luckily were still digesting a red nosed deer and a boar. Her 'adventure' was going to get them killed.

The young man was surrounded by a group of Templar who the tavern lady Adira had recently been serving. They mostly ignored her. This was her tavern and she had a letter of 'Safe Passage' that let her live and work in the town of Edinmire without any trouble. The humans here were mostly friendly to Keidrans. But Gleann, which was the young man's name was not a Keidran. He was also a human. But that was not the issue. It was the fact that he had just got done explaining that he was from an independent nation.

A large burly man held him up by the collar. " Do I look like an idiot?" He asked blowing his putrid breath of ale and and a bit of vomit into the smaller man's face. " You look like someone who isn't listening. My home is on an island called Bui-Talan. It is a place with rolling hills and fields covered in yellow flowers that bloom year round!" Glean said. "It is a small island that is part of a lager archipelago. It is located in the seas east of hear after passing the through the straight between the feline clan's peninsula and that Basitin island!"

Arida was pretending she wasn't noticing that a big man was about to punch his lights out. "You have come a long ways. What are you here for and why are you dressed like that?" A smaller, skinnier man asked, also a Templar. Gleann smiled. " Well, I'm the youngest child in my family so I'm not receiving an inheritance other than what got me through my apprenticeship as a tinker." The young man answered. " As for my attire, I'm a Fox. Gleann Dearg Fox the Clocksmith."

The room fell silent. Te man who was holding him by the collar let go and pulled his aviator hat off. " You look like a human to me. Are you soft in the head? Your no fox! Not even a Keidran Fox!" The man said. " Bout at ugly! HA HA HA HA!" Gleann didn't make any attempt to retrieve his hat. His black hair was a mess. " I'm not a fox as in the animal... It is my sir name. My entire clan is 'The Fox Clan.' I'm apart of the Red Fox family. That is why I dress as so. It is apart of our culture. We wear our colors." Gleann said calmly. The burly man shoved the aviator hat into the young man's chest.

"So why did you refuse to work on the construction of our towers eh?" A fat man in robes asked. Glean sighed. " It is against the code of my profession. We are not to work with magical instruments. No clocksmith worth his a tenth of his or her weight even in blackened copper coins would." The young man said as he put his hat back on. The templars looked at him. A few started to go back to their tables bored. The eccentric man wasn't fun to bully.

The fat man stared at him. " And why not?" He challenged. Gleann shrugged. " Because any time a clocksmith had the misfortune of being involved the instruments explode. Magic is not meant to be used in machines. It is meant to be wielded while spread out. The more there is in one place, the more unstable and unpredictable it becomes." Gleann said simply. More templars left. The burly templar and his slimmer counterpart returned to their tables. The fat man simply eyed Gleann beadily before he left the tavern.

Gleann simply ate his food in peace. He was suppose to meet te local blacksmith and carpenter about a contraption he was building with funds he managed to slowly collect from the two months he had managed to survive in the small town. People were beginning to warm up to him. Maeve, the tavern lady's daughter was even talking to him and asking him about his home and family. Gleann realized he had an issue. He was entirely too honest. And blunt. His candor was not winning him much favor among the locals, but it wasn't earning him complete distaste either. Gleann sipped his cider, happy that there was a good supply in the cellar.

Adira sat at his table once the rest of her customers had left. " A word of advice, it is better to keep your head down and not stick out. And you sir, stick out like a bloody sore thumb. Why don't you wear normal clothes?" The snow leopard Keidran asked.

Gleann simply smiled at her. " It is a custom that my people dress in the style and patterns that is our Sir name. Some dress in the style of a song bird, and many of these folks are common in my country. To do otherwise would be blatant alienation of your family... Unless you absolutely can not help the situation, my people follow this custom. No worries though. I have been slowly acquiring normal town clothes." Glean said smiling happily.

Adira shook her head and scoffed. " You look like a fool." She said bluntly. Gleann smiled in good-nature. "And you look quite lovely in your exotically beautiful fur." The young man retorted. Adira's fur bristled as she stared at him cautiously. She wasn't expecting him to boldly compliment her after she blatantly insulted him. She had figured out that he did not have the same view at the humans of this continent had with Keidrans. Nor did he really mind being ridiculed for his appearance. He knew he was a strange man and from a strange place.

Gleann looked at her still smiling but eventually he started looking worried. " Did I say something wrong?" He asked. Adira shook her head and started to collect plates. " Most people do not bother to compliment me. That is all." She said calmly. Gleann frowned. " I'm sorry to hear that. I'm surprised though." He said calmly. Adira looked at him puzzled and slightly amused. " And why is that?" She asked.

Gleann looked at her very seriously. " I don't want to pry in to your business but I am surprised someone hasn't proposed marriage to you already. I mean... Maybe I am just not around or am ignorant of something. But doesn't anyone try to pursue courting you?" He asked. Adira looked at him not believing what she was hearing. Nor seeing at the moment. His face was completely serious. "No.. Why would you think anyone around here would do that?" She asked. Glean looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. " Well... You are very attractive. I just can't understand why many of the men that come here don't seem to admire you." He said looking at her slightly upset.

Adira started laughing. But she quickly stopped. The man sitting at one of her tables was absolutely naïve of the feud that was going on between her kind and his. Did he really think... she was... attractive? " My kind and yours do not get along very well. There are a few good people here that let us live in peace but most humans have no love for my people." She said calmly.

Glean sighed. " That's sad." He said simply. " Why?" The young man asked. Adira shook her head. " We are just too different. To humans, we are just a bunch of animals." She said. The young man looked at her with a head cocked. " Well, your appearance does make you look different... But I look very different from most people of this land." Gleann said shrugging.

Adira softly laughed. " We have much shorter lives. Among other things." She said. Gleann looked at her amazed and in disbelief. " Really?" He asked. The rest of that afternoon she spent cleaning her tavern and explaining the way things were. Gleann did not seam to quite comprehend that Keidrans and Humans could not have relationships with each other and even if they did they wouldn't last long.

The fact was Gleann seemed to be blind to the idea that ruled the Human and Keidran nations. That humans and Keidrans could not live together in harmony. That humans thought Kiedrans were dirty ugly beasts. Gleann was quick to say that made no sense because the last bit seemed very untrue.

"Oh?" Adira asked. Gleann nodded. " Like you for instance. How your hair is braided makes it look very different. But different isn't ugly." He said readily. " But they give you a rather intriguing detail to your already striking appearance." Adira raised an eyebrow. After he left to go check on the men he was suppose to meet it finally hit the tavern lady that the young man had been flirting with her.

It had taken them two months to get to the first human town. Mina looked around. She was wearing a plain light brown tunic with green pants and a leather collar around her neck. Her right arm hooked around Aiden's left in order for her to look like she was guiding a blind person. Because for the most part she would be. They walked on one side of the road, Mina pulling Aiden aside whenever a wagon was about to pass by. No one seemed to think they looked suspicious. Or at least, no one looked at her suspiciously. Aiden was also wearing plain clothes but like her he was barefooted. Apparently humans were not often barefooted.

Mina lead Aiden to the town and looked around the area with caution. This was the first time she had ever been to a human settlement, let alone seeing so many humans. "What are you doing Keidran?" A town guard asked. Mina jumped making an 'eep' sound. Aiden held her arm. " She's with me. Are we in the way?" Aiden asked. The guard shook his head then realized it was a pointless motion. The man before him was obviously blind. " Eh, no. Your Keidran was peering around the corner and it looked suspicious." The guard said.

Aiden cocked his head. " Ohh? I guess this is the first time she's ever been to a town this large before. Mine too actually. The village I lived in was rather small." Aiden said calmly. The guard chuckled. " I see. She looks rather young. Has your slave already been going into heat?" The guard asked. Aiden started to turn red. " Ummm... Why does that matter?" He asked trying to stay calm. This had always been an awkward topic for him. The guard was laughing at him now. " Well I guess you wouldn't be interested in breeding a cat like her." The guard said. Aiden simply shook his head and held onto her arm tighter to stop her from growling. He could feel she was trying to suppress her anger and embarrassment.

"So what is bringing you to town?" The guard asked. Aiden smiled. " We are wanderers. If There is any work that we could do to earn money it would be appreciated. Otherwise we are just adventuring." Aiden said with a shrug and a straight face. The guard looked at him with with suspicion now. " What about your mother and father? Any family?" He asked. Aiden shook his head. " I was apprenticed to an apothecary guild. I don't know what happened to my parents. They never tried to contact me after they gave me to my master." Aiden said.

The guard looked at Aiden with a frown now. " How did you come across your servant then?" The guard asked. Aiden simply smiled. " The village I lived in previously took me in after the town I belonged to was burned down. Eventually I left the village and she came along with me. The village head felt like it was best that we stick together." Aiden said calmly. The guard simply nodded. " Got any papers for her?" He asked. Aiden shook his head.

The guard frowned and sighed. " You will need to get papers for her, otherwise she might get taken away. I think the town hall would be happy to do that for you and will help you both with finding work. Go to the tavern, That building over there Kiedran. Wait there and I'll send someone over to help you. It is going to be a busy month for us. Harvest is about to start among other things." And with that the guard left.  
That day was their first day in the town of Edenmire. Once they reached the Tavern they took there seats letting the tavern lady know that they were just waiting to be 'collected' and didn't really have any money to spend. Aiden didn't notice that she was a Keidran until Mina commented that she was surprised a Keidran could own a tavern. Adira took this with grace noticing that these two were probably not from the area. In fact she could smell that Mina was a wild Keidran. Eventually some one came to get them and a clerk helped with the paperwork they needed. He was surprised to find that Mina was very literate and had rather decent penmanship. But he didn't push the issue. Her master after all was blind as the clerk saw it.

Aiden quickly found work with the local apothecary and proved that he was a far more competent healer than his employer. He was able to use healing magic and was very talented at it. And with Mina's help he was able to identify each form of medicine and actually improve the apothecary's organization. They spent their first evening arguing about one herb having better properties of curing stomach aches than the other which Aiden ended up winning when a woman came in because her baby was crying. Aiden quickly made a medicine and told the lady the likely problem was that the child was lactose intolerant. He gave her a prescribed dosage and instructions on how to mix the formula and collected the fee from the mother.

Needless to say Aiden's employer surrendered that Aiden was the more competent healer and apothecary.


	5. Chapter 5

Gleann had trouble with convincing the blacksmith and carpenter that his invention would help them. He understood how much work he was asking them. He made changes to his design so it would require more wood than iron. But there were some exceptions that could not be made. He had calculated and recalculated the costs of material and labor and the tools that would need to be forged in order for the contraption he had commissioned to be made. But the two men were being stubborn through and through. He ended up buying the materials, renting a shack as his shop, getting permission to use their tools and the smith's forge, and working on it himself.

If they wouldn't do the labor themselves he would. And he did. To their surprise he was actually a better smith and wood worker than they realized. The next obstacle was the farmers. He needed to cut a deal that would get them to rent his contraption. He knew they wouldn't buy it outright. They couldn't if they wanted to. He explained how it would work and how it would make things easier on their backs just as much as it would save them time.

Gleann was frustrated by the set backs. But at least things were going as planned. The farmers were more than happy to try his invention if it meant less labor for them. They signed contracts that sounded fair and agreed to a rough schedule of who would rent it and when. Gleann had made every effort to convince them that they were not loosing anything so long as they operated it correctly. If his contraption didn't work, they would not need to pay to rent it. They lost nothing. If it did, their payments would be made after they made and sold their harvest. When they would have money. And it was a fair price.

Glean had calculated and calculated again. He would be getting what he put in and a half. He couldn't be too greedy, or too careful. He just needed to make sure everything worked out. If he failed catastrophically, he still had money to get by. He could move to another town if he had to. But he liked this town. It was usually quite. Other than the buzz he stirred up. But he needed that. He needed to get his 'invention' noticed.

Gleann did not leave anything to chance. He didn't leave room for sabotage. He watched his contraption like a hawk. Every bolt, every rivet. Every inch of the mower blade and the spikes along it. The wheels, the axle, the driver's seat and springs to make things comfortable. He had a horse drawn mower. He had spent hours sharpening the blade and checking and rechecking everything. It was a simple device to him, but out of habit he needed to make sure everything was perfect and presentable. No cutting corners.

Gleann slept in the shed he rented out as his workshop. He slept there with the machine that he would present to the farmers the next day. He woke up with a start and pulled out his knife. His ears listened, his eyes searched. The door to his shop opened. " Damn your a prudent one. Look, I want to say I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time." The smith said as he set a lamp down.

Gleann continued to listen. He stood there dagger in hand. The Smith took a step back. " I want to make this clear. I honor my contracts. I strive to give customers good service with the highest quality I can muster. If you did not want to help in my project with your own hands I understand. Thank you for letting me use your forge and buy your metal. But I have farmers I need to impress. If you really feel guilty for giving me a hard time, lend me your horse. Otherwise I'll pull this damn thing all the way out there if I have to." Glean said. The smith sat on a crate and looked Glean over. " You sure are something. What's your master like anyways? Some one trained you, strange as your crafts is." The smith asked.

Gleann sighed. " He was a man of a build much larger than you. And I don't say this to rile your ire either." Glean said calmly. " My first master was a smith but he forged the most beautiful time keeping pieces that you couldn't imagine. He was a bear of a man that could lift that hundred pound anvil in your forge and toss it a pretty good a length without throwing his back out. I say this because he HAS thrown a hundred pound anvil. The man belonged to the Bear Clan of my lands. They are known for their temperament and their strength. I learned all I could from him before he died."

Gleann cracked his knuckles. "My second master was a woman actually. She was from the Wolf Clan and her temperament was no less dangerous. She had no qualms with gutting a man in the street if they didn't uphold their promises. Wolves are an honor bound people of my lands and they do not take oath breakers lightly. She was skilled and taught me many things besides being a good tinker. Most clans from my lands contend with one another. A few of us have managed peace for a number of centuries before coming to this continent and settling the archipelago east of here. So to sum up my masters. They were talented, honorable, and ill tempered. And I did well as a Fox to learn how to live and work with them." Gleann concluded.

The smith simply stared at him and shook his head before laughing heartily. " Oh my aching gut. I think I can get an idea o' what it is like from where you come from. Ha ha ha! Blimey mad house that place!" The smith said. " So why do you fancy talking to that tavern lady eh? Have some kind of eye for her?" Glean frowned at the man. " No. Even if I did, she had made it very clear she has no interest in taking on another lover. I just found her curious. And lovely." Glean said bluntly. " I guess I just don't understand the disposition between the humans and Keidrans of this land." Glean simply shrugged.

It had been a week ago that Adira had shot his subtle advances down. At least she had been gentle about it. He was welcomed to continue being a patron to her tavern and her daughter took an interest in some of his baubles he made. But he had also learned that a relationship between a human and a Keidran was not appropriate in public opinion. So it was wise to keep his opinions of romance private. What saddened him was that Keidrans had maybe a third of a human's life span.

"Well, at least you started looking somewhat normal. Good grief you looked like a complete outsider when you got here. Now you look like an odd ball!" The smith jested before walking over and slapping Glean on the back. Gleann smiled wryly. "Just out of curiosity, where does the carpenter stand on my project?" Gleann asked. The smith's face looked serious for a moment but then he broke in a wide grin. " Missing a few teeth and his face in the muck. He's not standing at all after I got done with 'im." The smith said.

Glean understood the situation now. He had to look for another carpenter to work with from now on. " Thank you for that." Gleann said bowing before looking back at his contraption. " Your a damn proud man you are. I can understand that at least coming from a fellow craftsman." The smith said. " Your still strange. Nighty night then." And with that the smith left.

Mina was wondering why there was a crowd. Aidra, the tavern lady she had become quick friends with sighed. " That silly fool is showing off his contraption to the farmers today. You don't bother listening to the town gossip do you?" She asked. Mina smiled and shook her head. " No. I'm too busy looking after my 'master' to really pay that any mind." Mina said then dropped her voice to a whisper. "Isn't that the guy who's been flirting with you lately?" Adira looked at Mina annoyed. " I haven't the faintest clue what you are talking about." Adira said as she watched Gleann hook the harness to farmer's draft horse and guided the horse along slowly. The farmer who owned the horse was riding on the contraption's seat to get an idea of what it was like to sit on it while it was in use. It worked like a charm and it was pretty much like driving a horse drawn wagon. Except the horse drawn carriage was doing a weeks worth of labor in a fraction of the time.

The tinker gave the farmer the reins, gave some pointers on how to mow the crops and with that he started answering a barrage of questions from the towns people. How much did it cost to make it? Was it really made from just iron and wood? Why did he dress so funny? Adira grabbed Maeve and carried her away under her arm after that. Gleann just laughed it off and answered that it was a custom of his country. "Why won't you help with construction of the towers?" A Templar asked. Glean just smiled. " Because I won't work with magical instruments. They are too dangerous and unstable." Glean answered as if it was rehearsed.

The Templar was about to withdraw his sword when a man in a dark gray tunic and dark brown pants stepped in the way to asked Gleann a question. " What is it like in your land? Are there forests there?" Aiden asked. The Templar sheathed his sword and stormed away. Gleann cocked his head. " Well, up in the north. Mostly small woods here an' there anywhere else. And rolling hills with cliffs and such. The forests in the northern isles are old. VERY old. No one goes there. Not a place anyone sets foot in. Some say the trees dance there." Gleann said calmly. Aiden nodded. " Thank you sir." Aiden said and walked away with Mina at his side waving goodbye to Adira.

It was a few feet from the INN that Aiden stepped in Mina's way. She blinked feeling confused. When she tried to go around him he held his arm out to stop her. A man in a white shirt with a cyan Templar emblem stood in front of them. Mina looked at Aiden, then the man. " Good day sir." Aiden said politely. Mina looked at the man. Blue hair, blue eyes... He looked only a bit older than Aiden... " You noticed me. Even though you're blind. Heh heh. You must be talented." The man said. His voice was cold and arrogant. " Have you seen a tiger Keidran around here? I heard she ran away." The man asked. Aiden lowered his arm. " I don't think we have met one." Aiden said as he stepped aside for the man to pass, reaching back and grabbing Mina so he could pull her behind him.

"That's a shame. I'll probably end up killing her instead of returning her to her master anyways." He said and walked past them. Aiden put his hand on Mina's mouth to keep her quiet. She looked at him surprised. He wasn't normally like this. Aiden let her lead him to the INN before he sat down and prepared for her to chew him out. But there were no words said for a long moment. Finally she sighed. " He was that powerful huh?" Mina asked. Aiden looked surprised but simply nodded. " I could feel dark magic from him. Normally people don't light up. Not even you. But he was bright. A mix of blue and black like he was on fire." Aiden said calmly. "I could even see you because he burned so brightly... Or maybe so darkly..."

Mina looked at him and shook her head. " Scarey." She said and crawled into her bed before going to sleep. Aiden laid there awake for a long while, mulling over what had happened.

The next day Mina woke Aiden up. They did their usual everyday tasks. But today Aiden's employer needed him to collect an herb from the forest. Mina was his servant so she had to go with him, even though he was fine by himself once they were in the forest. But today wasn't like every other day. They happened upon a man who had white hair who was wearing a green tunic and black pants. He looked around and listened for a moment. Aiden simply stood in one place, somehow not being noticed until the man transformed into a Keidran. A very tall wolf Keidran.

Aiden blinked. He stepped forward when Mina gasped in surprise, startling the Keidran. " Oh. Well hello there." The Keidran-man said. Aiden smiled. "Hello there man wolf." Aiden said in high Keidran. The white wolf Keidran's eyes widened in surprise. He had obviously thought Aiden was blind... Well, Aiden was blind, but the trees could tell him what he did not see. What he could see was the magic the Keidran was building up in order to launch an attack.

Aiden only raised his hand to bat the spell away. Something told him he would be more than capable of it. The next spell Aiden simply caught and crushed. The dragon vine that slept in his arm was awake. It pulled itself out of Aiden's arm and grew to the size of a draft horse, pinning the white furred Keidran to the ground. " Don't kill him... Yet." Aiden said calmly. The dragon looked back at Aiden and nodded before baring it's fangs and hissing loudly with a deep growl... The fangs were like huge barbed thorns the size of knives. The dragon's wings which were large and leaf like spread out to give the plant creature an even more menacing and aggravated look.

"What kind of magic is this?" The Keidran asked. Aiden sat down and looked in the general direction of his captive. " To be honest, I don't particularly know myself. My friend here is prepared to kill you though, for attacking me. So, Convince me... Why should I let you live?" Aiden asked. The Keidran stared at Aiden. " Because you will never be able to escape. It is just you, this creature and that girl... Wait, where did she come from?" He asked. Aiden simply smiled. "She was behind me most of the time. But you are wrong. We are not alone. This whole forest is aware of your presence. The trees know you. They tell me you are a Templar named Euchre of the inner circle of Templars. To be honest, your name and position is trivial to me. It is that you are a curious Keidran that you piqued my interest... But then you attacked me..." Aiden said and stood up.

"So I'll give you one more chance. Convince me why I should let you live?" Aiden asked. Mina tugged at his sleeve. " Maybe he could teach me that thing? Hey wolf guy, can you teach me to become human like you were? Can you?" Mina asked excitedly swishing her tail. Aiden chuckled. "Does it look like I teach parlor tricks?" The wolf Keidran asked. Aiden tilted his head to the side. " No, but it sounds like a fair trade. In addition to that, I'll even tell you how I probably use my 'magic'... Though as I said I don't really know how... I just have an idea... That might pique your interest at least." Aiden said.

Euchre sighed. " Very well then. I'll try. But I doubt she can learn it. It isn't something she can just learn, it requires a born talent." Euchre said. "Kiedran can not normally use magic like humans do." Aiden looked up at the dragon then the trees. " She'll be able to learn. And quickly enough. You just have to know how to teach her." Aiden said and sat down. The dragon let the wolf Keidran up and circled around Aiden before laying down and watching the Keidran. "How do you know I won't just curse her?" Euchre asked. Aiden simply smiled as a tree slammed its limb just shy of the old wolf Keidran. Mina giggled. " The trees are more than capable of dealing with you if you did try." She said smiling pleasantly. "They are like that."

Euchre looked at the tree and the forest around them. The trees were swaying by their own accord. He really wanted to know about this young blind man. Euchre spent the next few hours trying to teach Mina to no avail. He tried again and again to get her to focus and use magic like he would but it wasn't working. Aiden coughed to interrupt. " Maybe I can offer a suggestion. Mina, feel the ground with your toes. Concentrate on that. But don't just stop there. Reach out not with your body, but like you are trying to feel something. Feel the light around you, but more specifically, below you. Reach out and touch the blue or green lights. But don't pull too much of it. Don't touch the black light either. Let it be." Aiden said. "Let the black light sleep."

Mina and Euchre both stared at Aiden puzzled. It was a moment before Euchre realized what Aiden was talking about. It came so natural to him... But not other Keidrans. With that Mina spent a few moments trying to concentrate. She seemed like she was about to give up several times but she started to feel tugs from below. Soon enough she was holding and orb of green light, mana that Euchre had told her to focus. He started to instruct her on how to manipulate it. Eventually her body started to change. Soon Mina was no longer a Snow Leopard Keidran but a young woman with white hair and black along her fringes.

Mina gasped. She couldn't believe it. It had worked. "Now, I held up my end of the bargain..." Euchre said then turned to Mina."But I have to ask you, don't teach anyone else that. Ever." Mina smiled.  
"Only to my kittens." She teased but none the less promised. Euchre sighed. He turned to Aiden. " You are a strange man. Are you a Mask?" The wolf Keidran asked. Aiden looked confused for a moment before shaking his head when the trees explained what the wolf meant. " No. I'm a Leaf Whistler. I think that is where I get my mysterious powers from. Other than being taught healing magic and being able to draw on the green light which seems rather abundant around us... I'm just able to talk to plants. And they can hear me." Aiden said with a shrug as he petted his vine dragon friend who was still watching Euchre diligently.

Euchre looked around him. The trees were very active with this blind guy near by. "My name is Aiden. I hope if our paths cross again it is a rather uneventful meeting... Or at least one that is more pleasant for the both of us." And with that Aiden left with the dragon and the now human Mina who was making him feel her soft non furry skin, which was making Aiden blush a deep red.

Euchre stood there in place staring at the direction they had left. He felt like he had just been apart of something out of a fairy tale. He looked up to notice the trees were now still when he finally came back to himself. " Leaf Whistler eh?" He asked himself and shook his head before continuing on his way. He had a mission to fulfill.


	6. Chapter 6

Mina was quiet. She had changed back before getting to town so no one suspected her. Aiden's dragon vine simply slipped back into his arm. It was strange. To both of them. What all just happened. They brought back the plant Aiden's employer requested in a basket like pot and carried on with work. After the apothecary store was closed for the day Aiden and Mina returned to their room. Aiden sat on his bed and took his boots off while Mina shut the door behind her. " So. When did you learn how to do all that?" Mina asked changing into her human form. Aiden looked in her general direction. " I kinda didn't." Aiden said. " Most of what I did I was told how... I mean. I could always feel the green light being their but only recently did I see and know it was mana. And only after that did I start seeing blue mana... And knowing what the darkness was that was the black mana... It is complicated..."

Mina pulled his blindfold off. His eyes were still a dull pale green. She stared at them and then sighed. " Okay." She said.

['Would you like me to explain it to her?'] The dragon said to both of them. Mina pulled Aiden's sleeve back to look at the 'tattoo' of the vine dragon. "Yes, please do!" She said. Aiden blinked when he realized that Mina heard the dragon too. And he spoke human!

The dragon chuckled. [' Mostly learned from you. But I'll explain that later.'] The dragon said. ['Your abilities mostly come from me. I give you the ability to sense things you generally are unable to. You are able to see plants even blind because you are a Leaf Whistler. Don't misunderstand me. But seeing and manipulating mana as you have, comes from me. Mostly. Think of me like a container for the green mana. Normal creatures like you can't sense the green mana. But manipulating it is far easier. And it is far more abundant than the blue. Green is also weaker than the blue. About half as strong... But it can be condensed ten times as much. So green mana users how ever weak are usually formidable.']

Aiden looked down at his arm. It seemed so... Odd that this was.. Was? Is? Aiden sighed, not being able to think. The dragon seemed to be mulling things over in its mind. ['I think you should be made aware of our relationship. I want it to be clear that I do not feed off of you or take from you. But I am not able to function and now live without you... You are my roots. My means of feeding on the green mana when I must. You also act as my home when I need to rest.'] The dragon said calmly.

Aiden looked over towards Mina. Or where she had been. Because she had quietly moved to his other side and sat down. He did well not to jump or be startled. "So you are kinda like a leech but instead of feeding on a host's blood you kinda just hang on... No that isn't a good comparison..." She said and thought it over. Aiden could feel the dragon sigh. [' I think the word you are looking for is symbiote. Parasites feed off of a host or another creature. Symbiotes live with a host or another creature and both parties benefit from the other. For instance, I don't need to use my eyes while I sleep, and I tend to sleep until I am needed. So you can use mine until yours are repaired.'] The dragon said.

Aiden blinked. He continued blinking because his world had suddenly changed. He could see more defined colors and shapes and light. His world wasn't plunged in complete twilight of darkness. He... could see.

Mina opened her mouth in awe and soon was tilting her head to get a better look at him. Aiden looked at her not understanding what he was seeing at first. " Mina?" Aiden asked. The young woman before her nodded and smiled. " Yup!" She chirped happily. Aiden looked around at the room he was in and felt... Nervous. These things... He was seeing things for the first time. What were they all? Mina grabbed his hand. " Hee hee! You can see now!" She said happily. Aiden looked at her then started to blush. There was one thing he remembered from long ago while he was living in his human village that he remembered in vivid detail. He had wandered into the women's bath when he was still a boy. "Mina... Put some clothes on!" Aiden yelped turning away and shielding himself.

Despite being blind he remembered the incident all too clearly because it was a rather painful one. A woman's wrath was not something he wanted to experience again. And he remembered that wrath being brought on to him due to them being naked and him being there. The dragon simply laughed and slowly dozed off.

Mina simply looked at him puzzled. She looked at herself and then at him. " But I always run around with no clothes on. Well... Almost always. I guess I wore clothes around town but not while we were alone." Mina said looking as if she didn't understand. " You don't think I'm ugly do you!?" Aiden shook his head. "N-no! Please just don't slap me." He said.

Mina looked at him confused. " Why would I slap you?" She asked. And so Aiden explained what happened to him so many years ago. Mina laughed. " You really walked in..." She began but trailed off and started laughing. She laughed and laughed until she started crying. Aiden watched her still blushing before looking away. He remembered being kicked, stomped on and stuff being thrown at him. And he didn't know where to go because every which way was angry screaming hitting kicking women. Eventually he just curled up in a corner and cried. Then again, they didn't know he was blind and he had the habit of putting his hand out so he didn't run into anything. It was a bit of a traumatic experience for him.

Mina gasped for breath and hugged him which made him turn even redder. " I wouldn't hit you for that! I really like you!" She said happily. " Besides, I'm use to doing this around you anyways. Well, before I learned how to become human. Wow, so this is what a female human looks like without fur. So weird! I guess clothes are more comfortable when you don't have fur." Aiden didn't say anything. He just blushed until he saw her shirt on the floor and threw it at her. She pouted but put it on. " If it makes you feel better, fine..." She groaned and slipped the shirt on.

Aiden sighed. " You know, this is kinda strange. I mean. I have always been naked." Mina said and watched Aiden blush even deeper. " Well I couldn't see you and... Stuff.." Aiden replied looking away. Mina giggled. " Oh I know. You thought we wore fur clothes for a long while." Mina said and started laughing. She had been the reason as to why he learned so.

Aiden simply put his sleeping clothes on and went to bed without another word.

Gleann sighed. The harvest had gone well. The grass was still green and the end of summer was upon them. It was still warm though. There was a few wealthy farmers who wanted to commission one of his mowers for themselves. It was good news. Things were working out. Gleann was being kept busy. However and to his delight, a certain little girl wanted to visit him. Gleann smiled as Maeve sat on a crate just so she could watch him work. She didn't say anything and she didn't try to interrupt him. She just watched. He was sure her mother would prefer that Maeve inherited her tavern so Gleann wasn't about to ask if the young girl wanted to become his apprentice. It was a shame though. She seemed truly interested in his craft.

Gleann continued to work for hours, sanding down the wood frame he had asked for from a more cooperative carpenter and was drilling the holes the bolts would go through. " Slow day at the tavern?" Gleann finally asked the little girl. Maeve nodded. " Mhmm!" She said happily. Gleann nodded. "Does she know you are here?" Gleann asked. Maeve simply hid her face mostly behind her tail. "Oh dear." Gleann said knowing they were both going to get an ear full. But he wasn't about to chase his audience off.

After a while someone walked in. "Adira I... Oh. How can I help you?" Glean said at first expecting the tavern lady but then realizing who was standing before him. A Templar. Gleann set his tools down and smiled with good nature. " We have parts we would like to commission you and schematics to their design The deadline for all of them will be in a month and a half. You will receive your materials weekly and your advance pay now. Do you accept this commission?" The templar asked and glared at Maeve who was hiding behind Gleann. Glean held out his hand towards the schematics. " Depends on what I am working with." Gleann said and opened the schismatics once the Templar handed them to him. " This is to once of your towers isn't it?"

The Templar shook his head. " For once no. We are well aware of your disposition with 'magic instruments'... Although the machine wont work without magic powering it." The Templar said. Gleann laughed. "BAH! This is a clock tower isn't it? No, you don't need magic to power it. It just needs a large enough spring." Gleann said.

The templar looked at him mystified. " I'm sorry, I don't understand." He said. Gleann smiled. " Come along Maeve. Looks like I need your help after all. I need a stick and a few of those clips. I'll get the board and parchment myself." Glean said. The next few minutes Glean spent putting together a board and drawing out the inner workings of a clock tower in vivid detail. And the next hour he began to explain how the spring would work via winding up tension as well as how certain cogs determined how much the hour hands would turn. Both the Templar and Maeve stood there looking completely lost. " I-I'll take your word for it!" The man said and handed Glean his pay. " I'm going to need the size to estimate how large the gears and spring will be! I'm not building a watch you know!" Gleann said watched the Templar leave.

Maeve looked at the pictures Gleann drew. " You have these where you are from Mr. Gleann?" She asked. Gleann nodded. " Each city has one. And they are all made by the clockwork guilds that the Wolf, Bear, and Fox Clans of my lands. It is one of the older alliances that has survived because we are well known for being fellow craftmen. So somehow, despite our differences in personalities and temperaments, we get along. Because of that, we have held the same lands we have had for centuries. Other clans have been displaced or faded away all together some of 'em." Maeve hugged him. " Please don't go away..." She said. Gleann simply bent down and hugged her only looking up to see her mother standing in the doorway looking at them both disapprovingly.

They both got an earful after they had their little 'moment.'

The next few weeks Gleann was working hard. Each piece had to be made into smaller separate pieces that would all fit together into one unit, expand as one unit, and contract as one unit. Pieces that once set together would not easily come apart. But Gleann also built in fail safes. Gleann didn't trust the templars. One fail safe Gleann designed was that components would all need different size bolts, some that were reverse threaded. The pieces wouldn't hold together properly without them. Another was that Gleann wrote the instructions of how to put together the components in his language but also in a code he himself designed on the off chance another clock smith was working on the project. Gleann wasn't going to send them the bolts until after he was done making the cogs, springs, and shafts.

It was probably convenient though. Each component could fit on a horse drawn cart comfortably and make transportation easier. Because they were all a certain size, they could be made in a small forge like the local blacksmith he was partnered with. Gleann had made a few orders so he could 'modernize' the smith's forge so they could rest while the metal the receive was melted down, or the ore they had was smelted. The smith now had a blast forge. One that used much less coal than was expected. One that was not such a pain to pump air into because it practically did it itself. The smith was astounded. He now had a clocksmith's forge. The next few things was the magnifier glasses that Gleann made. And so many other tools. Different hammers, tongs, clasps, clamps, taps, dies, files, rasps, and so forth.

Needless to say the smith was not the only one who was impressed. It was no small task to build a clock tower. And Gleann was not about to risk his honor and dignity on any small mistake... Like the Templar trying to use his parts for a weapon of mass destruction. It turned out that the go between man was getting flack because Gleann had taken the precautions he did. It was obvious now that they were trying to use his parts for something other than a clock tower. But they couldn't. He was sure they hated him right now. But they were paying him, so his work wasn't free. He could stay busy.

And if they wanted to complain that they couldn't build their contraption he could justly point out that he agreed to build the parts to a clock tower. Now anything else.

Aiden was having trouble with Mina. She was now in heat. And dealing with that wasn't fun. Aiden wasn't ready to father kittens. He wasn't ready in general. So he made Mina stay home and in their room where he brought food for her. She must have been frustrated and very uncomfortable. He felt so sorry for her. But he needed to work so they could live. Unfortunately it was raining. And he didn't exactly have a cloak or anything. He wondered in the rain not knowing where he was really going.

{'You can use your own eyes now you know.'} The dragon said to Aiden through their connection. He was speaking plant though. Aiden stopped and thought about it. He pulled his blindfold off and looked around. The world was blurry, dark with lights here and there. It was like being underwater almost. Was he under water?! Aiden waved his arms around only feeling the air and the rain as it fell down. He could breath. {'It appears I could only do so much. Sorry.'} The dragon said and went back to sleep.

"Aiden?" Adira's voice came from the gloom. " Aiden is that you? Come, get out of the rain you!" He heard Adira's voice say and was pulled by clawed hands somewhere. He was lead under neath the eave of some building. "Oh my goodness, you are already soak and wet!" She said. Aiden looked up to see a white and black figure with brown and beige. He got closer and squinted his eyes. He could make out her face more clearly. She looked like Mina in ways, but her fur patterns and hair was very different as well as certain facial features. " Wh-what are you doing?" She asked. Aiden realized he was almost in her face before he backed away. He put his hands in front of his face and could see them more clearly. He judged the distance before they started becoming entirely blury. About arms length and he could no longer make them out as hands. He could see clearly about a forearm's length away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't make you out. I didn't know you looked similar to Mina... Well... I... Sorry, I don't mean to be rude..." He said knowing that being told that two people looked the same could be taken as rude. Aidira simply looked at him in amazement. " Quick, how many finger's am I holding up?" She suddenly asked. Aiden saw a sudden blurry movement. His eyes focused on that, but he had to get closer to make out what it was. It didn't help that it was dark out either.

" Um.. Two?" He asked once he got close enough to her raised hand. Adira started luaghing. " I didn't know you could see... Well, you are still practically blind, but I think I know someone who can fix that. Come on!" Adira said and dragged Aiden off to the forge. The rain was starting to fall even harder and they were splashing muddy water everywhere. " Gleann! Gleann! Open up, I know you are in there! I need something from you real quick!" Adira called hearing the banging of hammers suddenly stop. Glean opened the door to the forge and looked at her and Aiden. " Come, get out of the rain you two!" He said and beckoned them in. " I hope you don't mind if I drag company in Ederous."

The smith shrugged and went back to smelting today's metal. "Gleann, Can you make a pair of classes for him?" Adira asked. Glean looked at Aiden. It took him a glance to realize Aiden could see. Partially. He nodded. " Here, Take my hand sir." Gleann said and held his hand out. Aiden missed his hand twice before grasping it and was lead over to a work bench. Gleann wrote something down on a piece of paper. " Now sit here." Glean said pulling a stool down and placing Aiden's hand on it. Aiden sat down wondering what was going on. What did he need glasses for? He wasn't thirsty.

"Now, tell me when you can see the picture clearly. Look here now." Gleann said and waved his hand in front of Aiden to get his attention. Glean put a magnification glass in front of Aiden and then a picture. The forge was well lit. Aiden squinted. He was wondering what the white square thing was. Glean tried another magnification glass. And then another. Glean started to chuckle. " Goodness Aiden, you are rather near sighted. How far can you make out your hand?" Glean asked.

Aiden scowled. " About The length of my forearm?" Aiden replied rather annoyed. " What exactly are we doing?" Glean held one more magnification glass in front of him. "Can you see the picture now?" Glean asked. Aiden looked at what was a sheet of paper. " Yes, it is a tree. What is this about?" Aiden asked. Glean held the magnification glass in front of Aiden and smiled. " I am helping you see." Glean said excitedly. " Here, just hold this for a moment.

Aiden wondered how exactly was a glass so large suppose to help him see. It seemed like it could, but it was rather big and he didn't want to hold something so big and heavy all the time just to see. Aiden could see sudden bright light, hear quick tapping of a hammer and other various sounds. He could guess that Glean was running around the forge excitedly. Aiden knew the clock smith was a bit of an eccentric person, but he didn't know he was this much. He came back and place something on his face that rested on his ears and his nose. It was directly in front of his eyes. But like magic, he could see. He could see, just as well as he had been able to while using the dragon's eyes.

Aiden took the things off his face to look at them. They were rather warm still. But not too uncomfortable. Something clear and round, two of them actually were being held in some metal wire frames. The frame was attached to two arms that hooked around his ears. "Be careful with those. They can break easily and glass can be very painful if it gets in your eyes. By the way, those are called, 'glasses' and you are very welcome. Three copper if you need repairs to the metal frame and arms and twenty for the glass lenses. For now, though I'll take it out my pocket."Glean said.

Aiden looked at the man who dressed in red white and black. He smiled. " Thank you very much sir." Aiden said and gave a polite bow. He could see now! He could really see! The smith sighed. " Gleann, you work on just about everything don't you?" Ederious asked with a scoff. Glean smiled sheepishly. "Well, I cover a wide area of things. Don't ask me to cook though." He said with a chuckle.

Adira laughed. " I wouldn't. The man is at my tavern every day for his meals!" She said bluntly crossing her arms. The smith simply shook his head. He looked over to Aiden. " You know, now that I get a good look at you I notice you have a shade of green I haven't seen before. Almost like mint." The blacksmith said before going and checking on the furnace. " You two take your time getting dry for now. I'm sure that tavern nor the bloody twit running the apothecary will be missing you two so soon." He said and went to get them all something to drink from his house. He seemed to have no qualms with entertaining a Keidran, an eccentric clock smith and a half blind apothecary.


	7. Hiatus

Dear Readers,

Due to my current situation many of my stories are now being put on hold. I do apologize for the lack of notification and information as well as not updating. I DO plan on returning to my stories. I have a lot to do. But unfortunately life is very busy. I have classes four days a week and a work two part time jobs. So yeah. ^^;; I will try to do SOMETHING to try and get back to my previous projects and that may require me to start one other story so I can tie them all together... . Or not. We will see. For now, I want to let you know 'The Stray', 'The Leaf Whistler', 'The New Shield Hero', and Re-writing 'Dealing with the Ancients' is on a break. I am trying to work on a some stories though still. ^^;; One called Lefko which is on FictionPress and another that will be a misc. crossover on here called 'The Adventures of Gray' which is another of my OC characters and is very special to me.

I am sorry for the lack of updates and information... And the starting of other projects. (Getting side tracked. . ) But I will try to make the wait worth it! In the mean time I am starving for feedback! ^^;; Thank you for reading my stories and for understanding.

-Mionikoi


End file.
